Grape crusher and stemmer



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8. 1947 Feb. 27, 1951 A. FERRARI 2,543,571

GRAPE CRUSHER AND STEMMER Filed Jan. 8. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5114uantoz Feb. 27, 1951 A. FERRARI GRAPE CRUSHER AND STEMMER 5 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed Jan. 8, 1947 Feb. 27, 1951 A. FERRARI GRAPE CRUSHER AND STEMMER5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 8, 1947 nome z, flbeZeJ eWafli Feb. 27, 1951FERRARl 2,543,571

GRAPE CRUSHER AND. STEMMER Filed Jan. 8, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ammo aPatented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES P OFFICE 32,543,571 GRAPE sausa eAND 's'jiiiiihwn'ii Abele Ferrari, Healdsburg, Calif. I App-insure.lainuar'y 8, 1947, serial No. 'izoizos (c1. mp7s) v 1 Claim;

This invention relates to machines deign'e'd to crush and stem grapes a)as to extract the pulp and juice therefrom.

More specifically, the invention relates tb improvements in machines ofthis chai'faeter which embody the use of blades or paddles rotating in adrum that crush and stem the grapes.

The primary object of the invention is to pro= vide animprov'ed rotatingblade apparatus, embodying the use of different types of blades rotating in the drum, one 'set of blades being formed so as to beparticularly adapted for crushing the grapes, without crushing thestems, and the other 'set being particularly adapted to complete thecrushing, to remove the dry stems from the pulp, ahd to eject the stemsfrom the machine.

Another important object or the invention is to provide improved drivemeans for rotating the blades and the drum at different speeds, and animproved feed and discharge mechanism.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, herein after more fullydescribed and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changesmay be made in the construction and arrangement of parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal Vertical sectionalview through a machine constructed in accord-' ance with the invention,in which the blade, drive, feed, and discharge apparatus embodiedtherein are shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view, showing the outlet end of the drum.t

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line -3-'=3of-Figure 1.

Figure '4 is a sectional view taken substantially Online i 4 of Figurel. v

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5'5 ofFigure 1. I V 7 Referring to the drawing in detail, the machine embodiedin the invention is supported in a suitable frame, including a base, theframe being designated generally by the character reference number 5,and being of substantially rectangular conformation when viewed in sideor end elevation.

Supplying power to the machine is an electric motor 6, rotating amainshaft i by means of belts 8 passing around the pulleys 9 on themainshaft and the pulleysv It the motor, the maihshaft being journalledin :ballbea'rin'gs II 2 mounted at the ends of the frame 5, and in aballbearing l2 mounted on a cross bar I3 of the frame. I

A portion of the maihsh'aft 1 extends through a hopper M, in whichgrapes to be treated by the machine are deposited, and this portion ofthe mainshaft carries a worm conveyor i5, whereby the grapes are fedinto a rotatable perforated drum with which the hopper communicates, andwhich has been indicated generally by the character reference numerall6. Spaced rings I8 are peripherally disposed along the outer wall ofthe drum l6, and strengthen the construction of the drum. v 7

Driven by the mainshaft T is the intermediate shaft ll, that is rotatedby means of a chain l8 that passes around the sprocket l9 on themainshait, and the sprocket 29 on the intermedate shaft. In turn, chain2| passing around the sprocket 22 on the intermediate shaft, and aroundsprocket 23 on a pinion shaft 2e transmits rotary movement to the pinionshaft.

Meshing with the pinion 25 carried by the pinion shaft 24 is the ringgear 28 that rotates the drum 1 6, the ring gear being coa'Xiallyaligned with the drum and fixedly connected thereto by a plurality ofrods 21 which also extend through a brace wheel 2% that serves thepurpose of bracing the connection under strain whieh might be exertedthereupon.

Spaced brackets ZQ extending inwardly from each side of the frame 5carry wheels 3!] on which the drum l6 rotates.

By reason of the reduction gearing described, the drum i6 is adapted torotate comparatively slowly, at a speed of approximately revolutions perminute.

From the inlet end of the drum is to a point approximately intermediateits ends, the peripheral wall of the drum is formed with slotperforations 3| which are disposed in staggered parallel relation.Within this portion of the drum [6, there is mounted on the mainshaft lin equally spaced relation a plurality of spiders or radial arms 32.These spiders 32 are fixedly secured to the mainshaft l, and arepreferably each formed with four blades. Each of these four blades isdisposed at a right angle to the adjacent blades of the same spider, andis pitched obliquely as is clearly shown by reference to Figures '1 and3, so that attachments on the ends of the blades, which attachments willbe described in detail hereinafter, will move engaged material in adirection away from the inlet end of the drum. 7

Referring individually to each spider 32, there are mounted at the outerends of opposed blades curved crushing paddles 33, the other opposedblades of each spider 32 being provided with flat carrying paddles 34.The paddles 33 curve in a direction away from the direction of rotationof the drum l6 and spiders 32. Thus the leading faces of the crushingpaddles 33 have a wiping action over the drum surface. This is to bedistinguished from the action of the carrying paddles 34. The faces ofthe carrying paddles extend straight inwardly from the drum surface, sothat the end edges only of said paddles, rather than portions of theirleading faces, wipe over the drum surface. Grapes fed into the drum arecrushed between the curved paddles 33 and the wall of the drum 16, butby reason of the construction embodied in the paddles 33, the stems ofthe grapes are not broken, which is desirable by reason of the fact thatthe stems contain an acid which is harmful to wine, which may be madefrom the grapes.

The carrying paddles 34 which follow each crushing paddle 33 on the samespider serve the function of moving the crushed grapes onto the nextspider 32 or set of blades, where they are further crushed until theyare moved past the spider 32 which is furthest from the inlet end of thedrum it.

As may be seen from Figures 1 and 3, the blades of the spiders 32are'arranged in staggered relationship, which guarantees steadycontinuity of function, and keeps the grapes evenly distributed in thedrum, so that there will be no large masses of grapes accumulatedtherein which might result in an uneven distribution of strain on themachine. drawing that the paddles 33 and 34 of said spiders 32 are shortin length and spaced substantial distances from the paddles of the nextadjacent spider, so that there are clear spaces between adjacent spidersinto which the grapes move when passed from one spider toward the nextone. As a result, during movement through these spaces the grapes arenot subjected to any crushing ac tion but the rotation of the drumcontinues to turn the grapes over so that by the time said grapes reachthe next spider, they are again well mixed for further crushing.

During operation of the machine, the blades of the spiders 32 travel ata relatively high speed, which may be stated as approximately 400revolutions per minute. At the same time, the reduction gearinghereinbefore described, whereby motion is transmitted to the drum it,causes the drum 16 to rotate in the same direction as the blades, thatis, counterclockwise when viewed as in Fig. 3, but as previouslymentioned, at a reduced speed of about 7 revolutions per minute, andthis arrangement between the blades and the drum is specifically adaptedto prevent injury to the grape stems, and to keep the perforated drumwall clean. The blades 33 and 34 are of inflexible material.

Within the portion of the drum l6 that extends from the spider 32 mostremote from the inlet end, to the other end of the drum, are mountedradial spiders 35, which have obliquely extended blades disposed at aright angle to their adjacent blades. There are preferably two of thesespiders 35 and they are arranged in staggered relation, as is clearlyshown by Figures 1 and 2.

Extending between the spiders 35 and secured to the blades thereof inspiraled relation, are stemming arms 38, which are adapted to receivethe grapes from the crushing apparatus, and to clean the remainder ofthe juice and pulp there- It is further to be noted from the from,forcing the juice and pulp through round openings 31 disposed instaggered relation in the periphery of the drum [6, and which dischargethe dry stems of the grapes from the open outlet end 38 of the drum.

As the pulp and juice are forced through the wall of the drum [6, theyare received in a pan 39, which fully encloses the drum I6, in orderthat all pulp and juice forcibly ejected through the slotted andcircular perforations will be retained and will move to the bottom ofthe pan. A hinged door 40 permits access to the pan and to the drum forcleaning purposes.

On the pinion shaft 24 is carried a sprocket 4| around which passes achain 42 that also passes around a sprocket 43 on a feed shaft 44, theshaft 44 being rotatable in the pan 39, adjacent the bottom thereof. Theportion of the feed shaft 44 within the pan 39 carries a right and lefthelical feed or worm conveyor 45, which is adapted to move the pulp andjuice collecting in the bottom of the pan to the center thereof, wherean outlet 46 is provided.

What is claimed is:

In a machine for crushing andstemming grapes, a crushing structureincluding a rotatable apertured drum; a main shaft extending through thedrum; a plurality of spiders rotatable with and spaced longitudinally ofthe main shaft, said spiders each including radial arms extending towardthe wall of the drum, short paddles on some of the arms curved radiallyof the drum away from the direction of rotation of the drum, the leadingfaces of said paddles being partially in wiping contact with the drumwall, said paddles and the portions of the drum wall over which theywipe defining between them acute angles to form spaces in which grapesare crushed, and short flat paddles on the remaining arms of each spiderdisposed radially of the drum, the lastnamed paddles being in wipingcontact with the drum wall at their outer edges only and comprisingcarrying paddles for grapes to be crushed, the curved and fiat paddlesbeing spaced circumferentially of the drum in an alternating arrangementon each spider, there being substantially wide clear spaces between thepaddles of adjacent spiders, all of said paddles being pitched spirallyof the drum and the several spiders being spirally staggeredlongitudinally of the drum; and means for rotating the drum and the mainshaft in the same direction but at different speeds.

ABELE FERRARI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 52,693 Devines Feb. 20, 1866136,002 Olds Feb. 18, 1873 654,839 Philpott July 21, 1900 774,350 CastleNov. 8, 1904 1,068,004 Northrop July 22, 1913 1,312,381 Beekhuis Aug. 5,1919 1,765,953 Urschel June 24, 1930 1,848,225 Schmidt Mar. 8, 19322,101,620 Lewis Dec. 7, 1937 2,172,790 Ferrari et a1 Sept. 12, 19392,292,650 Oehler et a1. Aug. 11, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 542,776 France Aug. 21, 1922

